The U.S. House passed a major water quality legislative package that includes two bills sponsored by Congressman Dave Joyce.

The American Water Stewardship Act passed the House by a 378-32 vote and now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

The package includes two bills sponsored by Joyce, R-Bainbridge, whose district includes all of Trumbull County.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Reauthorization Act provides $475 million annually for five years for conserving the Great Lakes. Without reauthorization, the funding would expire Sept. 30.

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act provides $30 million annually in funding to state and local governments to test, monitor and identify contamination in recreational waters.

Joyce, co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, said growing up on Lake Erie, “I’ve always had a deep appreciation for what the Great Lakes provide for the communities that surround them. Since joining Congress, I’ve consistently advocated for policies that protect and promote these national treasures.”

Joyce added: “Both of these bills drive critical funding to programs that have been protecting and preserving the Great Lakes for decades, and I’m incredibly proud to see them advance through the House.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $4.1 billion since 2010 to fund 8,000 projects through the Great Lakes region, addressing issues that directly impact public health and safety, according to Joyce’s office.

Joyce also led the effort to reauthorize it for the previous five years, getting it through Congress and signed into law in January 2021.

The BEACH Act was established in 2000 to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop guidelines for testing, monitoring and notifying the public of possible coastal recreation water problems, such as contamination, and providing funding to resolve those issues.

The new bill, which would also last for five years, adds the identification of sources as an eligible use of funds and expands the eligible testing locations to include shallow recreational waters adjacent to beaches.